Horizon Tech Shows SIGINT System, ISR Pod

Horizon Technologies (Hall 1, Stand 1136) is a small British company that has gained significant export success with an airborne SIGINT system named Flying Fish that monitors satellite phones. It says that more than 30 platforms are carrying the system, which is in daily use in SAR missions via NATO and FRONTEX in the Mediterranean Sea; in counter-piracy operations off the coast of East Africa; and in “other operations in the Levant and in many parts of Africa.” The platforms include UAVs and low-earth-orbit satellites.

The company has also developed a “plug-and-play” ISR pod that can be seen here under the wing of the L3 Longsword light attack aircraft. As well as the Flying Fish, the XPOD can carry sensors made by other companies, such as L3’s MX-series EO/IR video cameras; L3’s AIS receiver; VStar’s HF/VHF/UHF SIGINT system; and even a lightweight ground surveillance radar. The XPOD can be adapted to numerous aircraft, such as Cessna 208s, King Airs, and C-130s, according to Horizon.